Detective Comics Price Guide

Detective Comics is the longest continuously-published comic book in United States history.

This is almost certainly due to the fact that Detective introduced and provided the first regular monthly appearances of a certain Caped Crusader, of whom more later.

In March of 1937, Detective made its first appearance.

The title began its life as an anthology series, mostly featuring just what the title and the times promised: detective stories of the 'hard-boiled' variety, with no superheroes, as such, appearing for the first 26 issues.

Detective Comics #1: A Hard-Boiled Beginning

Everything has to start somewhere, and while this issue, as explained above, does not contain any important first appearances of characters or key events in an important superhero's life, it is, above all else, the single comic with which DC Comics came together.

There are only 13 graded copies by CGC (unrestored) in any condition! The best known to date is CGC 6.5. A further 15 restored copies are known.

Detecive Comics #27: First Appearance of Batman

Much has been said about the May, 1939 debut of Batman in Detective Comics #27. The fact that more than one copy of Detective #27 has broken the million dollar barrier pretty much trumps whatever else can be said about it.

Depending on whom you ask, it is either Detective #27 or Action #1 that is the most valuable comic book ever printed. (Action #1 currently holds the record, at $3.2m.)

Worth noting is that The Bat-Man, as he was still known at this juncture, is introduced here by his creator, Bob Kane, in an iconic cover illustration.

Detective Comics #33: Batman's Origin Revealed

While any early Golden Age appearance of Batman is considered 'key', there are some that are "more key" than others, if that makes any sense.

One such is Detective #33, in which we are treated to the story of the Caped Crusader's origin, told via flashback as a prologue to the main story, all courtesy of the Golden Age Batman team extraordinaire, Finger and Kane.

Detective #33 is tremendously desirable to collectors, even in rough shape.

Detective Comics #40: First Appearance of Clayface

This issue is also notable, because it contains a full-page advertisement for Batman #1, which would hit the stands at around the same time, and which provided the Caped Crusader with two simultaneous starring titles of his own.

By now, Batman was on the cover of every issue of Detective Comics, and while there were other, shorter features in each issue, it was clear who the star was.

Detective Comics #58: First Appearance of The Penguin

Love him or hate him, The Penguin is a key Batman villain, and his first appearance, in the pages of Detective #58, makes it a key issue.

As famous as he may be, The Penguin (real name Oswald Chesterfield Cobblepot) is, for some reason, often regarded as 'silly' by the legions of fans who prefer the darker Batman villians (The Joker, Ra's al Ghul, etc.).

Either way, The Penguin's first appearance makes Detecive #58 valuable, and the story in which he debuts, One of the Most-Perfect Frame-Ups, by Finger and Kane, is classic Golden Age Batman.

Detective Comics #99 (may 1945): First Penguin Cover

Detective #99 marked the first appearance of Oswald Cobblepot on the cover.

The self-styled "Gentleman of Crime" is unique in the world of super villains, and his strange appearance and demeanor have made him a fan favorite since his first appearance, in Detective #58, back in 1941.

Detective Comics #156 (February 1950): First Classic Batmobile

The lead story of Detective #156 features the brand-new, incredibly-futuristic Batmobile of 1950!

Batman had been injured in a Batmobile accident that resulted in the old Batmobile being totaled. While he is laid up, Bruce Wayne secretly works on a new Batmobile, complete with plastic bubble top, a la the Jetsons.

Detective Comics #168 (February 1951): Origin of the Joker

Alan Moore drew heavily from Detective #168 when he wrote The Killing Joke graphic novel in the 1980s, and the popularity of the Joker makes this issue of Detective extremely desirable to collectors, even in poor condition.

Detective Comics #233 (July 1956): First Appearance of Batwoman

The first appearance of Batwoman (aka Katherine Kane) in Detective #233 is not worth anything near what the first appearance of J'onn J'onnz, just eight issues before is worth. Batwoman, aka bored Gotham socialite Kathy Kane decides to become Batwoman to fight crime and wear tight outfits.

Lest you scoff, she had acquired her incredible athletic and gymnastic ability during her careers as a circus trapeze artist and stunt cyclist, just like all the other wealthy heiresses who decide to put on spandex and fight crime.

Detective Comics #235 (1956): Origin of Batman's Costume

In the cover story of Detective #235, entitled The First Batman, we watch as Bruce and Dick view an old home movie (somehow in color) that shows Thomas Wayne (the late Wayne patriarch) pretending to fight crime in a "Bat Man" suit at a costume party many years ago.

The costume is quite like Bruce's current one, aside from the lack of gloves, Robin-style boots, lack of bat emblem, and a mask instead of a cowl.

Detective Comics #328 (June 1964): Death of Alfred

Somehow, in Detective #328, Alfred gets it into his head that he's a crime fighter, and gets himself captured by the notorious Tri-State Gang.

Batman and Robin go to rescue him, and get captured as well. They all manage to escape, of course, but in all the confusion, Alfred saved the Dynamic Duo from being crushed by a ton of falling rocks, pushing them out of the way just in time, and taking the brunt of the rocks himself.

Later, we would find out that he was merely "nearly dead," and was found, hovering on the brink of oblivion, by physicist Brandon Crawford, who somehow dug Alfred out and took him away without anyone noticing, and then treated him with a special kind of radiation in an attempt to cure him.

Now we're talkin'! Batgirl, aka Barbara Gordon, is a Silver Age creation that had true staying power, although in various forms that did not always involve a bat in any way.

In Detective #359, Jim Gordon's daughter Babs was on her way to a policemen's charity masquerade ball, it seems, and made herself a "Batgirl" costume in honor of her father's close associate and Gotham's #1 hero.

Batgirl has gone on to feature in the New 52 and other stand-alone projects.